5 Reasons Why Work Experience is Important

Getting work experience is an important part of starting your career as a young adult.

The earlier you start acquiring experience for your resume, the better.

It sounds difficult and it will require work, but you can start even while you are still a student!

Work experience is not just limited to time spent as an employee working at a company. You can get it with an internship, working with your family or freelancing.

I know that the idea of starting work early seems abhorrent, but here are our reasons why it should be your priority.

1. Go to Places Beyond Your Education

If getting a university degree taught you everything you needed to know to succeed in life, we wouldn't hear success stories of drop-outs and non-graduates like Steve Jobs, Rachael Ray and Sir Richard Branson.

Getting out there and getting the experience is a surefire way to learn more.

That's not to say getting an education is useless (it's a must in some professions), but it doesn't teach you everything.

Courses do not directly teach soft skills that are essential for the real world.

You learn to communicate from being in the school environment itself, not so much from the classes that are taught.

You learn time management from juggling assignments and hobbies, not from the professors and lecturers themselves.

These types of skills are ones you can learn and develop in the real world, in a work environment as opposed to a classroom. Furthermore, you learn them in the context of a workplace.

You can learn much from taking a class, but don't underestimate how much you can learn outside it as well.

2. Practical Application Proves Your Competence

Hypothetically, let's say you live in a perfect world where education has covered everything you needed to learn to succeed in the workplace. Great!

However, being able to do something in a classroom setting is not the be all and end all.

Much like how practicing public speaking in a class of 20 is very different to doing it with an audience of 200 strangers, actually applying what you've learnt is an entirely different level.

Work experience gives you the opportunity to apply your skills. What you have done can then be put on your resume to further your career.

Starting your first foray into the working world early also allows you to use your youth to your advantage. Chances are your first job is going to be mainly about learning to work as much as working itself.

Allow yourself to build confidence about your ability in the workplace for advancement in future jobs and career opportunities!

3. Get Ahead in the Competitive Job Market

The job market for the graduating millennials is unfortunately bad in many places.

Many university graduates are finding themselves with a degree and no job. Problems are compounded if they have student debt as well.

If a position requires experience, you can't apply without it.

If a position doesn't, you are likely to lose out against a candidate with more experience.

Getting any kind of work experience will help you stand out. Especially in more competitive fields or if you think other parts of your resume are weaker.

Internships can also be a great way to get a full-time position as well afterwards. If you are a good fit and provide results as an intern, you will likely be hired to continue work there.

Of course there are ways to get around lack of experience by finding a job through other channels, such as networking.

However, the benefits of having actual work experience under your belt is undeniable, especially for the next point.

4. Employers Want People With Experience

Money is required to pay for things we need to live, thus it is an important factor in our lives.

Let's face it, the bottom line for most people is: How do I earn enough money to survive? or How do I get a job so I can make money?

For those who aren't self-employed or dependent, getting a job is crucial.

To get employed quickly you need to have what employers want and they want experience.

Providing exactly that is what gets your resume past screening, secures you an interview and hopefully, the job position you covet.

Unfortunately, if you are missing something from your resume, there is a chance that the employer will discard it without a second thought.

It's rough to be rejected without being given a chance to prove yourself, but the employment process is all about elimination.

The best way to get through is to not give them a reason to eliminate you.

5. Give Yourself the Chance for Personal Development

While all the reasons above are good reasons to get work experience, the best reason of all is to do it for yourself.

If you are thinking: Why on earth would I want to start doing work? How does this benefit me personally?

First of all, you get to try experiencing the career of your choice. You can find out what you enjoy or don't enjoy and utilize that knowledge to find more suitable future jobs.

Secondly, you are giving yourself the opportunity to try new things. Some things can only be truly learned from hands-on application.

Third is the network you build for yourself with the new friends, colleagues and acquaintances you meet. Personal development does not always happen in isolation.

Lastly is the satisfaction you get from improving yourself. In the end, you should feel a sense of personal accomplishment from what you've achieved.

Get Yourself Work Experience Through an Internship Today

You can get work experience from part-time jobs or freelance work. However an internship is a great way to get experience along with an understanding of the industry's inner workings.

Apply for an internship now to begin the process! See testimonials of previous interns here.

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About Mariya

Born and raised in Thailand, Mariya embraces multiculturalism thanks to her upbringing and international education. Currently based in Bangkok, Mariya is an avid reader who is working her dream job as a writer in Asia Internship Program.